Aircraft construction



LOGG

Nova 10,

Nov; 10,` 1925. 1 1,560,996

L. M. KELLOGG AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed March 19, 1925 4 Sheets-Sme t2 m U/ I z) 'kl 31 MM IZgJ; '7

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` Nov. 10, 1925. 1560396 L. M. KELLOGG AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Filed March19, 1925 4 shnts-sheet s wii ga- INVENTOR.

` L. M. KELLOGG AIRCRAF'T CONSTRUCTION Filed M'cfi 19, 1925 4Sheets-Shoot 4 LAV' I v I v'AWAVAvAVAnvAVAVVAVAVAVAVg v l I N V EN TOR.

Patented Nov. 10, 1925 iiWfs Kiintode, of 4Ilos AiiefiLn'ls,'ohfinofaitra Ainoimnwo'onsnue'rxon.

i 'Apiiiicafiba iilea 'March 19, 1925. seriar no. 162739.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern: i i

Be it known that LLEWIS -MfKnL-Loee, a citi'zen of the United States;resiclingat Los Angeles, in the County ofLos Angeles and State of`Ga1ifor`nia,'have invented Lnew and useful Improvementsrih AircraftConstructions; ofwhich the following is a speoification.4 i

.Myiinvention relates to improvementstin dirigihle air cnaft of theZeppelin type,v the objects bengifirsti, to constrnot a dirigilole Craftwholly loy the lnse of a wood .frame Work and coverediwith a Woodcovering. A second :object heing to .provide in an air Craft of the typenamed a-Lprac'tioal method of :tfonstruction Whichwi-ll show strength,-stflfness and resistance to Vf.`fitigiie due to longitudina-l,Vtransver'se and eireuinfei'ential stresses. A third object being toprovide a coveringthat will develop a very low degree of `skin;friotion,``and fourth to develop a .Craft of the tyfpe. named in Which theexcessively long longitudinal metal frame is replaoed fihy ar frameofWood wherehy the Craft `While in flight may not beoome a favorablecdnductor |for the passage of a statie Charge of e-lect-ricity from azone' of high pressure toone of low pressirne.

`In the construction of the latest example ofaireraft of the IZeppelin'typer a Wall comprising the b'ody member of the ei'aft5'enclosingl thegas hags,` is'huilt up of a system of longrons and bracing made ofdu'ralumin and `coveredWith Canvas; The length ofsueh Craft is nsually 6to 7 times 1its diamete'r1 andthe Wallin some instances is about 10 feetthink.1 j-In building` such a Craft in the manner andof theim'aterialsherein set forth the entireistructui'e is Vcomposed of wood, preferablyspruce,` and in the accompanying-drawings a'i'e shown fragments of thewall, so eonflyposed,y in longitu'dinal and transverse section.

`VVith reference to the -drawingsz Fig. 1 is a transverse fragmentaryview of thewvall of afdirigible a'i-r'craft showingia Wood coveringandahracing therefor.

Fig. -2 isanienlafrg'ed fragmentary view of the material forming thecovering -and in` somei'places the `bracii'ig iithich supports it.

the 'eoteringfaid' showing a second method i of using the sameinatenialas a brace element.

F 5 shows in -longitu'di-nal section 'a fragment of thestrneture yshowntran'sversel)7 in Fig; 1, the viewheingtaken on line A5 A 1 Fig; 1.

Fig.. 6 -is enlargedlongitndinal view of a Vhraee "element shown inuFigL5 andishdwing how a hrace he light-weightediby cuttihg out certainVpoftions.

Fig: 7 is'a transve'rse .fragmentary View of the Wall showingaidifferent method of hr'a-cingithan that shown in Fig; 1.

Eigl 8` is an 'enlarged longitudinal fragrnentary view of the' strhetureshown 'transversely inzFig. 7.

In the eonstiuction of the dirigible .air Craft herein set forth thematerial usedtfo'r the cowf'eri-ng and lafgely thehraein'g,'foi1 thepresent purposes, may b'e designated as Woven plyl Wood, asainple ofwhich is'submitted 'herewith l/Vith reference to Figs'. 22 and S, thefacing Sheets of this Woven ply woodware fforn'ied 'of Wood rihbonsshaved from .stock piec'es and having a thiokness,` according to 'the'strength desired 'in the fin'-, ished material,` ranging from .0115 to.030 of an inch. Such ribh'ons oinprise the warp and Weft ina speciallooiii which `formsthem into a simple Weaveas'shown. In .the lWeatingWater-proof glue is wiped upon the warp so that the `finished '-Weave isglued in the lap of the Warpland weft ribhofns.

To huildup' the woien ply Wood a sheet of the Weave is laid down andcorifugations made froni the'same wood ri'hbons .are glued' upon 'it,-'using water-proof ghie. A second sheet of the Weave is then glued iuponthe eorrugated `filler. 'Such naiterfial has great strength andstiffnesshetiveen wide points of support. 'Itican'he made into* sheetshaving a Width as' great as 8 'feetiand a length of -20 feetv or Indre,and 'When properl joined at can be made.

i the edges .a Continuous she'et of v`tie material The material thus'forme'd 'is impervious to water. The material because of its stiffnessand strength can, when properly fixed at the ends, be used as braceelements.

In order to obtain the necessary longitudinal stiifness in a craft ofthe sizes such craft is usually built, three longitudinal tubularmembers may be constructed of the woven ply wood which may be stifenedtrans-. versely by woven ply wood or other braces as shown in thefragmentary views 1 and 5 or 7 and 8.

In Fig. 1 (see also Fig. 5) numeral 1 indicates an outer longitudinaltubular member forming a covering. 2 indicates an intermediate tubularmember. and 3 indicates an inner tubular member within which gas bagsmay be placed7 all being formed of thewoven ply wood 'continuous andunbrolren from end to end and circuinferentially, the ends of the craftbeing drawn to points as is the common practice with such structures.Longrons 4 and 5 are glued to the members 1 and 2 respectively andbetween each pair of longrons a sheet 6 of the woven ply wood is set inglue; also on the surfaces of the tubular members -2 and 3 are gluedlongrons 7 and 8 respeet-ively and between each pair of longrons isfixed a radial brace 9 formed of the woven ply wood. This constructionis further strengthened by the use of the continuous zigzag bracemembers 10 connected to alternate longrons -t and alternate longrons 5and a like brace member 11 connected to alternate longrons 7 andalternate longrons 8. These Continuous zigzag brace members may beformed of a lamina of thin strips of spruce glued together and whichextend circumferentially in an unbroken unit.

Referring again to F ig. 1 in such a structure the longe'rons 11, 5, 'Zand 8 might be omitted and the weight and strength of materialrepresented in them might be transferred into the tubular members 1, 2and 8 by making the woven ply wood a little heavier in the facing sheetsand deeper in the corrugation. Also the Continuous Zigzag brace elements10 im'ght be replaced by a brace formed of sheets of the woven ply wood.

Such a structure is shown in Figs. 7

'and 8 in whieh the woven ply wood brace element between the tubularmember-1 1 and 2 is numbered 12 and that between members 2 and 3 isnumbered 13. These brace elements 12 and 13 represent big unbrolrendiscs and stiifen the entire structure cireumferentially. The braceelements may be fixed to the tubular members in Various ways, one methodbeing shown in Fig. 8 in which the braee sheets 12 and 13 are connectedto the tubular members by gluing in corner pieces 14, 141. Suoh a methodof joning a brace sheet to the member braced 1,5eo,99e

gives a strong wide hold on the two pieces.

In Fig. 3 is shown a fragment 15 upon which is glued a longron 16 havinga central member 17 extending out far enough to form a tongue upon eachside of which is glued the facing sheets of the woven ply wood braceelement 18.

In F ig. et is shown a fragment 19 of the covering upon which is giued alongron 20 having a sheet 202L of the woven ply wood glued on each side,thus developing a. double brace element. The structures shown in lfigs.3 and 4 illustrate methods by which the braee elements 6 and 9 may beiixed to the longrons 11, 5 and 7, 8 of the structure shown in F ig. 1.

In Fig. 2 is shown in a top view two sheets of the woven ply wood joinedtogether by a. strip of wood 21. In Fig. 8 is shown such a joint inelevation. In joining two sheets together in this manner the corrugatediiller is cut back far enough to allow for the insertion of the strip21. These strips may be composed of three ply of spruce two ply of whichmay run across the` joint and the third ply with it.

lFor the reason that the longtudinal tubular members should not bebroken nor the circumferential brace elements, it would not be practicalto provide a man way along the bottom of the craft within the wall, likethat provided in the convention-al Zeppelin type of craft; therefore fora craft such as that herein set forth a man way should be constructed ina narrow car, depending from and formed integral with the craft on itsunder side and extending throughout its entire length.

It is to be understood that the number of longitudinal tubular membersand the. exact disposition of the brace elements which strengthen andstiifen the tubular members as set forth, forms no part of my presentinvention, and that many changes might be made in the invention as shownwithout departing from the spirit thereof as claimed.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An air craft of the type named, having a body member composed of aplurality of tubular members formed of the woven ply wood and braceelements disposed so as to st-iiifen and support the tubular members.

2. In an air craft of the type named, a body member composed of aplurality of tubular members formed of the woven ply wood and 'spacedapart and brace elements inserted between the tubular members adapted tostiifen them and support them ciroumferentially.

3. In an aircraft of the type named, a body member eomposed of aplurality of tubular members formed of the woven ply wood and spacedapart and brace elements formed of the woven ply Wood inserted be-Leqeee 8 tween and flxed to the tubular members adapted to stffen theirsurfaces :md support them orcmnferentally.

4. In an air Craft of the type named, a body member composed of acovering formed of the Woven ply Wood and. brace elements dsposed withinthe crcumference formed by the covering for strengthenng itlongtudnally, stffening its surface and Supporting it transversely andoircum- 10 ferentally.

:En testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specfica'zion.

LEVVIS M. KELLUGG.

